Technology Is Neither Good, nor Bad, nor Neutral with Tony Reinke and Samuel James
Life and Books and Everything — Clearly ReformedTechnology Is Neither Good, nor Bad, nor Neutral with Tony Reinke and Samuel James
April 27, 2023
Life and Books and EverythingClearly Reformed
How should the Christian think about technology? How should we use technology? Are we better off as Luddites who avoid new technologies? In this episode—ironically, interrupted by many technological glitches!—Kevin talks with two of our leading writers when it comes to God, technology, and culture. Although Tony is a techno-optimist and Samuel is more of a techno-pessimist (or “realist” might be better), they both agree that technology can be a gift from God and also has the potential to reshape us in harmful ways. Listen in for a discussion that is part biblical musing, part intellectual analysis, and part practical application.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro and Sponsor
1:58 Guest 1: Samuel James
4:03 Guest 2: Tony Reinke
6:16 Technology Optimism and Pessimism
17:41 The Tech-Blessed 21st Century
25:49 Dangers of Tech and Digital Discourse
48:40 Sponsor 2
49:18 Should We Throw Out Our Smartphones?
56:03 How Should We Parent concerning Tech?
More From Life and Books and Everything
Two Sexes, Created to Be Distinct
Life and Books and Everything
May 5, 2023
Kevin reflects on the current cultural climate of gender expression and offers the explicit opinion of scripture as a rebuttal.
Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President with Allen Guelzo
Life and Books and Everything
May 10, 2023
It’s a special day at LBE as Kevin interviews his first returning guest, the esteemed historian Dr. Allen Guelzo of Princeton University. Find out how
Giving Thanks for Harry Reeder (1948–2023)
Life and Books and Everything
May 19, 2023
In many ways, Harry was a man’s man: strong, athletic, and confident. But he was also a family man. We should pray for his wife, Cindy, along with the
An American Evangelist
Life and Books and Everything
April 18, 2023
In this Episode, Kevin reads from his recent article for First Things, a response Collin Hansen's article about the life and ministry of Tim Keller.
“That’s Just Your Interpretation”
Life and Books and Everything
April 6, 2023
The charge of “just your interpretation” short-circuits the interpretative process altogether.In this article for WORLD Opinions, Kevin argues for scr
Sorrows Untold and Hearts Torn Asunder
Life and Books and Everything
March 29, 2023
In the wake of tragedy, we need the whole Bible with all the depth of Christ’s sympathy and all of God’s providential and loving care.
More on OpenTheo
Should I Pray for Protection for Persecuted Christians When God Might Want Them to Be Martyrs?
#STRask
September 4, 2025
Questions about how to pray for persecuted Christians in light of the fact that God wills that some will be martyrs, and how persecuted Christians who
Do Christian Business Owners Have a Moral Responsibility to Provide a Livable Wage?
#STRask
August 25, 2025
Questions about whether Christian business owners should provide a livable wage, whether doing a corporate sponsorship that promotes one’s business co
Is 1 Corinthians 12:3 a Black-and-White Tool for Discernment?
#STRask
October 27, 2025
Questions about whether the claim in 1 Corinthians that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” is a black-and-white tool for disce
Conservatism and Religious Freedom with John Wilsey
Life and Books and Everything
October 27, 2025
What is conservatism? And why does it go hand in hand with religious freedom? How should we think about the American experiment of ordered liberty? Ha
“Christians Care More About Ideology than People”
#STRask
October 13, 2025
Questions about how to respond to the critique that Christians care more about ideology than people, and whether we have freedom in America because Ch
Can You Provide Verifiable, Non-Religious Evidence That a Supernatural Jesus Existed?
#STRask
November 10, 2025
Question about providing verifiable, non-religious evidence that a supernatural Jesus existed.
* I am an atheist and militantly anti-god-belief. Ho
Mike Takes on World Ranked Debator on the Topic of Jesus' Resurrection from the Dead
Risen Jesus
August 27, 2025
Dr. Shane Pucket was ranked the 32nd best debater in the world in 2012. That year, he faced off against Dr. Michael Licona at Monroe Baptist Church in
The Resurrection Standoff: Licona vs. Ehrman on the Unbelievable Podcast
Risen Jesus
October 22, 2025
This episode is taken from the Unbelievable podcast with Justin Brierly in 2011 when Dr. Bart Ehrman and Dr. Michael Licona address the question: Is t
When I Can’t Stop Thinking About Something, Is That God Speaking?
#STRask
December 1, 2025
Questions about whether having a recurring thought is an indication God is speaking to you, what to say to someone who says they sinned because “God t
Why Do We Say Someone Was Saved on a Particular Date If It Was Part of an Eternal Plan?
#STRask
November 24, 2025
Questions about why we say someone was saved on a particular date if it was part of an eternal plan, the Roman Catholic view of the gospel vs. the Bib
How Would You Convince Someone That Evil Exists?
#STRask
November 17, 2025
Questions about how to convince someone that evil exists, whether Charlie Kirk’s murder was part of God’s plan, whether that would mean the murderer d
Since Most People Are Wrong When They Make Supernatural Claims, Why Didn't God Do Better?
Risen Jesus
September 17, 2025
Dr. Matthew McCormick, a philosophy professor at California State University, Sacramento, doesn’t believe that there is satisfactory historical eviden
Did Jesus Lie in Mark 5:39?
#STRask
August 18, 2025
Questions about whether Jesus lied in Mark 5:39, proving that lying can’t be a sin, when he said, “The child has not died, but is asleep,” and what Je
Fighting on Different Hills: Licona and Ally on the Resurrection of Jesus - Part 2
Risen Jesus
August 20, 2025
In 2004, Islamic scholar Dr. Shabir Ally and Dr. Mike Licona met at Regent University to debate the physical resurrection of Jesus. Both cases, a live
Protestants and Catholics: What’s the Difference? With Chad Van Dixhoorn, Blair Smith, and Mark McDowell
Life and Books and Everything
November 26, 2025
How should Protestants think about the Catholic Mass? About the Eucharist? About the history and development of the papacy? In this panel discussion,